The document provides guidance on crafting a defensible thesis statement for an essay. It explains that a thesis statement expresses the main idea or opinion that the writer will argue or prove over the course of the essay through evidence. A good thesis statement is a complete sentence that makes an argument rather than asking a question, and it includes sub-points that correspond to the structure of the essay.

1. CRAFTING A
DEFENSIBLE THESIS
Or
How the BLEEP am I going to write this BLEEPIN’ essay?

2. WHAT IS A THESIS?
 A thesis statement is the basic idea or opinion that you (the writer)
are trying to prove to the reader.
 The thesis statement in an essay is the ONLY place you get to
state your opinions.
 A good thesis statement is one that you (the writer) can prove to
be true through researched evidence in the form of quotes,
summaries, study results and documented examples.

3. KEY ELEMENTS OF A
GOOD THESIS
 A good thesis is a complete sentence.
 A good thesis is a statement, not a question (or an exclamation!)
 A good thesis gives the opinion of the writer, not just a repetition
of the topic.
 A good thesis contains sub-points that correspond to paragraphs
(or sections) of the essay.

4. COMPLETE SENTENCES
WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING IS A COMPLETE SENTENCE?
 Luke Skywalker’s abandonment issues.
 In The Empire Strikes Back, it’s something about the fact of not
having a real father.
 Luke struggles to come to terms with his feelings of inadequacy.
 Darth Vader in the death star like an overbearing father.

5. WHY CAN’T IT BE A
QUESTION?
 The task of an essay is to prove your thesis statement.
 A statement can be either true or false.
 A question is neither true nor false.
 Therefore, you cannot prove your thesis statement if it is a
question.

6. YOU HAVE AN OPINION!
A N D I F Y O U D O N ’ T Y O U S H O U L D M A K E O N E U P.
 The Empire Strikes Back, the sequel to A New Hope, is the movie in
which Luke finds out that Darth Vader is his father.
Vs.
 The discovery that Darth Vader is his father in The Empire Strikes
Back is the point in which Luke becomes a true master.

7. SUB-POINTS:
Y O U R R E A D E R ’ S R O A D M A P T O Y O U R E S S A Y.
 When Luke learns that Darth Vader is his father he becomes a true
master Jedi, since he can no longer rely on Obi-Wan, he must
abandon his role as a son, and he must face Vader not with skill, but
with firm convictions of what is good.